Inflatable heart massager



y 1962 c. E. HEWSON 3,034,501

INFLATABLE HEART MASSAGER Filed Aug. 5, 1958 INVENTOR. CARL HE S BY F753 EZEK/EL. W I Wou: I -Grumman 4-15 WRN 'YS United States Patent3,034,501 INFLATABLE HEART MASSAGER Carl E. Hewson, Marshfield, Mass.(90 Myrtle St., Quincy, Mass.) Filed Aug. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 753,240 4Claims. (Cl. 128-39) The present invention relates to a heart massageror bag adapted to fit about a human heart during surgical procedure forautomatic massaging of the heart.

It is quite common during surgical operations for surgeons to massagethe patients heart in order to stimulate it to normal operation. Oftenhowever, this massaging must be carried on for relatively long periodsof time. Since a surgeon can normally only massage a heart for a periodof approximately three minutes, without tiring, it is often necessaryfor a team of surgeons to hand-massage a heart over prolonged periods.The difficulty with this particularly procedure is that successivehandling of the heart by different individuals is deleterious to itsproper operation. Furthermore, it makes the maintaining of a uniform andrhythmic pulsating pressure rather diflicult to maintain. Furthermore,this type of procedure does not lend itself to a precisely controlledrhythmic application of pulsating pressures to the heart.

it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a deviceadapted to be fitted on a human heart during surgical operation forapplying a rhythmic pulsating pressure to the heart suflicient and insuch a manner as to keep the heart pumping and therefore maintain bloodpressure and circulation artificially until the heart is able to assumeits normal function. V 1

The present invention also provides the heart massaging device which isadapted to fit over a wide range of different sized hearts and in whichthe device is easily inserted over the heart during surgical operativepro-' cedures.

The device also provides gentle uniform pressure to the heart in amanner carefully predetermined and controlled.

The present invention also contemplates modifications for applyingrhythmic pulsating pressure to the heart with the pressure being appliedto difierent portions of the heart in successive instants of time.

The present invention is also designed to be autoclavable so that it maybe reused.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will bemore clearly understood when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a preferred form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line2-2 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of a modification of the invention.

This massager is preferably entirely made of a flexible distendableresilient auto-clavable material which is nonreactive with the internalorgans of the body. A number of suitable materials are presentlymarketed including certain of the commercially available syntheticplastic materials. Of particular utility is a silicon elastic materialcommercially sold under the trademark Silastic and manufactured by theDow Corning Chemical Co. This material is shaped into a bag-like formgenerally illustrated in FIGURE 1. The bag is formed with inner andouter walls 1 and 2 respectively, with the inner and outer walls joinedat their upper peripheral edges 3 by any suitable permanent sealingmeans. A slot is also formed at 4 end extends substantially verticallywith respect to the walls 1 and 2. The edges of the walls 1 and 2 aresecured together at this slot 4, as indicated at 5 and 6.

3,034,501 Patented May 1 5, 1962 A tube 7 is formed at the base orvertex of the outer wall 2. By this ararngement there is provided aninner enclosed space 8 between two walls 1 and 2, with fluid or airinlet means through the tube 7.

The shape of this bag and substantially the shape of the inner and outerwalls are goblet-like in cross section. Ultimately they may beconsidered as substantial paraboloids. Attention is directed to the factthat the upper portions of the walls 1 and 2 are bowed slightly inwardlyat 10 and 11, about their circumference, so that the interior area ofthe bag as indicated at 12 has a slightly constricted upper opening.This constriction is somewhat more pronounced when the bag is in use, sothat the tendency of the bag to slip from the heart will be minimized bythe gripping action of this slightly constricted plied through theopening '7 to the interior 8, the inner wall 1 will be forced inwardlytowards the center, thereby providing a squeezing action on the heartwhich is positioned within the area 12. The relative thicknesses of theinner and outer walls may vary depending upon the particular materialused. If desired the outer wall 2 may be provided with an integrallymolded or otherwise suitably secured flexible, auto-clavable cloth orwoven metal insert which would prevent the outer Wall from distending toany substanutial extent. Satisfactory for such rigidizing member wouldbe a monofilarnent nylon cloth arranged in strips or if desired a singlepiece about the outer wall 2. Preferably, however the devicecontemplates the inner and outer wall of the same material only with theouter wall of greater thickness.

The particular shape illustrated is useful for hearts of differentsizes. Thus the slot 4 permits easy insertion of a heart Within the area12 and the subsequent securing of the bag about the heart. The bag maybe readily secured particularly for smaller hearts, by surgical clampsapplied to the lips 5 and 6. Thus in one particular modification, a baghaving approximately a five inch diameter and a length of approximatelysix inches, has been found satisfactory. The length of the slot 4 shouldextend preferably almost the height of the walls 1 and 2 so that the bagmay be distended and bent for easy insertion of the heart within it.

In the operation of this device, the outlet tube 7 is connected to asuitable hydraulic or pneumatic pressure means which is adapted to applya rhythmic pulsating pressure to the interior 8 of the bag. The pressurewhich is alternately applied and released to this interior distends theWalls of the bag. Since the inner wall may be distended more readilythan the outer wall, upon the application of a pulse of pressure, itwill distend and gently squeeze the heart as described. The normalpressure which is applied to the inlet tube 7 may vary depending uponthe particular bag, material, patient and other variables. However, atypical pressure would be for example 15 psi. The pressure would beapplied in pulses at a variable rate also depending upon the situation.Normally however, 60 to pulses would be applied per minute.

Occasionally, it is desirable to apply pressure in a controlled manner.For example, it might be desirable to apply the squeezing pressure tothe lower portion of the heart first, and then subsequently to the upperportion of the heart. This may be provided for in the arrangement asgenerally disclosed in FIGURE 1, by carefully varying the thickness ofthe inner wall. Thus for example, if the inner wall is made thinner atits apex 14, than at its upper area or edge 10, with a gradual orselected variation in the thickness between these two areas, the innerwall would distend and thereby apply pressure to the lower portion ofthe heart first and then subsequently to the upper portion of the heart.Thus by varying the thickness of the inner wall in any particularlydesired area, the sequence in which the pressure is applied iscontrolled.

Another means of controlling the application of pressure for sequentialapplications of pressure to various portions, is illustrated in FIGURE3. Here a bag of generally the same configuration as shown in FIGURE 1is pro-,

vided having inner and outer walls 2 and 21 respectively. In thismodification however, the inlet means for introducing pressure betweenthe walls 26 and 21, is provided by a pair of inlet tubes 22 and 23.These inlet tubes may conveniently be located at the upper edge 24 ofthe bag, at positions adjacent the slot 25. The slot 25 extendsdownwardly substantially the height of the bag. The interior of the bagbetween the walls 20 and 21, is divided in two by, '21 preferably,integrally molded divider 26 which extends from the upper edge 24 to theapex 28 at the side opposite the slot 25 and continues upwardly to thelowermost point of the slot 25, thereby eifectively dividing theinterior of the bag between the walls 20 and 21 into two separatecompartments each having a separate air inlet. In this arrangement eachseparate 'air inlet may be connected to a pneumatic or hydraulic devicefor separately controlled introduction of pressures into the separatechambers.

. Itwill be noted that this device may alsobe used in conjunction with asensing instrument which is sensitive to the arterial pressure of thepatient. In this manner the pressure or amount of squeeze on the heartmay be automatically controlled for the maintaining of a selected andestablished arterial pressure. v Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A heart massaging device formed of flexible material comprising abag-like member having a globlet-like shape, open at the wide end andhaving a slot extending from said Wide end toward the vertex of saidshape, said member formed of inner and outer walls joined together attheir periphery including said wide end and slot and formingtherebetween an enclosing space, said outer wall having a thicknesssubstantially greater than said inner wall whereby said inner wall willdistend on application of pressure to said space at a greater rate thansaid outer wall, and inlet means positioned at the vertex of said shapefor introducing pulsating pressure into said space.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner wall has adifferent thickness in different portions of said inner wall whereby thethinner portions will distend at a rate greater than the thicker portionon application of pressure into said space.

3. A heart massaging device formed of a flexible material comprising abag-like member having a goblet-like shape, open at the wide end andhaving a slot extending from said wide end longitudinally toward thevertex of said shape, said member formed of inner and outer walls joinedtogether at their periphery including said Wide end and said slot andforming therebetween an enclosing space, said inner and outer Wallsflared outwardly and lying in face to face relation at said slot andforming thereby an outwardly extending lip about the periphery of saidslot, said outer wall having a thickness substantially greater than saidinner wall whereby said inner wall will distend on application ofpressure to said space at a greater rate than said outer wall and inletmeans positioned at the vertex of said shape for introducing pulsatingpressure into said space.

4. A device set forth in claim 1 wherein the peripheries of said outerand inner walls at said wide end are bowed slightly inwardly to form aconstruction at said wide end.

References Cited in the file of this patent OTHER REFERENCES Surgery,volume 39, -No. 3, pp. 376-377, March 1956.

